Software News Daily » malware

Trend Micro 3 for 2

Kyle — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 22:14:54 +0000

Update: This promotion has ended on 9/30/2011. Sign up for our email notifications to stay current on up-to-date software news, reviews and promotions.

For more than 20 years, Trend Micro has been a worldwide leader in web, messaging and endpoint security software with such amazing software titles as Endpoint Protection, Business Security and Control Manager.

In response to overwhelmingly popular demand, Trend Micro has announced that they are reviving the wildly popular “3 for 2″ program. Until September 30th, 2011, customers purchasing new, 2-year licenses of Trend Micro Enterprise Security for Endpoints or Trend Micro Worry-Free Business Security will receive an additional year at no extra charge.

Enterprise Security for Endpoints is a combination of anti-malware and in-cloud protection software that safeguards your PCs, notebooks, tablets, smartphones and laptops from external threats. The new File Reputation in OfficeScan shifts the burden of pattern file management into the cloud, freeing up your resources, and Web Reputation ensures the security of your endpoints by denying access to known malicious sites.

Worry-Free Business Security is an anti-malware and anti-spam software that provides businesses with a more effective, more intelligent, and more easy-to-use to safeguard their assets from internet threats. Worry-Free Business security defends against viruses, spyware, spam and other threats before they reach your business, and continuously updates your protection in order to more quickly detect and block threats.

To learn more, call our certified licensing experts at 1-800-474-1045 Ext. 3 or email our sales team at sales@softwaremedia.com.

What is Endpoint Protection?

Kyle — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 12:30:23 +0000

In this mad world of hackers, cybercriminals and rampant malware, no one -from individuals to businesses- can afford to be unprotected. There are countless protection solutions available, and often it can be difficult to decide on the best internet security for specific needs. For many end-users, firewalls and antivirus programs are ideal, but for those businesses that rely on central servers with many devices connecting at once, endpoint protection is the most likely -and one of the most effective- security solutions available.

Many people are unclear as to what, exactly, endpoint protection entails. Essentially, endpoint protection is security software that is installed on endpoints (individual user devices such as PCs, laptops and handhelds) and centrally managed by the server to which each endpoint connects. The central server/gateway will host the central security program which verifies logins and downloads updates and patches as needed.

Some of the more advanced endpoint protection systems will use network access controls to grant authorizations and limit methods of access to certain devices. When attempting to connect to the network, the central system will determine authorization and ensure that connecting devices are in compliance with access regulations; often this means that devices with unauthorized software such as games and file-sharing programs will be disallowed.

There is a multitude of internet security solutions available on the market today, and choosing the best endpoint protection is often difficult. An excellent product to check out would be Symantec Endpoint Protection 11. Symantec has been a giant in the internet security business since its founding in 1982, and its products and security solutions continue to impress. Combining the benefits of Symantec Antivirus with powerful threat-prevention software, Symantec Endpoint Protection 11 is a powerful security solution for networks of virtually any size.

“Stuxnet” – Not Your Typical Worm

Justin — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 22:59:04 +0000

Malware, Rootkit, Spam, Trojans—these are all everyday words in the computer world, much to the chagrin of businesses and users worldwide. Fortunately, dozens of companies and organizations exist solely to seek out and destroy these viruses and such before they have the chance to cause serious damage. Just as we walk around surrounded by germs and bacteria in the real world without second thought, we do the same on the virtual level when traveling through Cyberspace. However, every now-and-then comes a virus or worm which catches the world off-guard. Stuxnet could be the Swine Flu of the year. Maybe worse.

Without going into too much technical jargon (thereby avoiding the impending blackout as a result of readers’ drool shorting out their keyboards as they doze off into boring tech-speak oblivion), I’d like to talk a little about Stuxnet and why it’s creating such a buzz. Stuxnet got the attention of everyone a couple months ago when it was discovered, by Kaspersky Labs, that it found its way through a Windows security hole instead of just USB sticks as was originally thought. Stuxnet was designed to attack SCADA systems: typically used to manage complex industrial networks, for example: a power plant. Microsoft quickly patched the hole, and that was that. Or was it?

More recently, experts have learned that Stuxnet implements very stealthy techniques to keep from being detected and could, in fact, be a much larger threat than predicted. One way is it uses legit digital signatures from Realtek Semiconductor Corp. This helps it gain access from users without their knowing. In addition, Stuxnet appears to run a system check to see if it’s on a corporate or control systems network. Depending on the data received, Stuxnet will exploit specific vulnerabilities. Such knowledge of Realtek and SCADA systems suggest those responsible for Stuxnet are very well organized and sophisticated.

Although there remains a lot of mystery behind Stuxnet and what its ultimate purpose is, the good news is most of the (known) successful attacks have been aimed at Iran and other underdeveloped countries. Companies are working around the clock to patch the vulnerabilities and root out any traces of Stuxnet on infected systems. If you’d like to read more details about Stuxnet, Microsoft’s TechNet blog posted a great article entitled “The Stuxnet Sting”. In it you’ll see where the US and other countries fall in terms of Stuxnet attacks.

Top 10 Best Internet Security Suites

Lansia — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 17:34:05 +0000

Norton Internet Security 2010 took top spot in PCWorld’s internet security suites test. In comprehensive testing conducted by German security lab, AV-Test, PCWorld “looked not only at traditional signature-based detection but also at how well the suites cleaned infections, removed rookits, and detected malware based on behavioral analysis.” In the 13 products that were tested, in order, here are the top 10 internet security suites with their review:

Head over to PCWorld to read the full report of their findings.

BitDefender Update Causes Windows Shut Down

Lansia — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 18:11:06 +0000

Having issues with your PC after the latest BitDefender update? It’s not just you. Apparently a recent update for BitDefender brought down a number of Windows computers, mostly throughout the US and France. This only affected 64-bit Windows 7 and Vista users and has been acknowledged by BitDefender, “Due to a recent update it is possible that BitDefender detects several Windows and BitDefender files as infected with Trojan.FakeAlert.5.” According to the same post, a new automatic update has already been released to patch the issue. If you are still having problems, refer to their post for additional guidance.

A BitDefender spokesperson assures the public that “Substantially less people have been affected than people think.” Although, those that have been hit with the malfunction, have been hit fairly hard. Read the IDG Connect article for more.

Bug Confirmed in Newest Mozilla Firefox 3.6

Lansia — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 22:41:42 +0000

Mozilla confirmed yesterday with sufficient details that a vulnerability in the latest Firefox release could result in remote code execution by an attacker. ComputerWorld tells us the “the bug was disclosed by Russian researcher Evgeny Legerov a month ago in a message posted on a forum hosted by Immunity, the Miami beach, Fla. developer best known for its Canvas penetration testing framework.” The bug has also been reported by Secunia, a Danish vulnerability intelligence company. Secunia says the cause is “due to an unspecified error and can be exploited to execute arbitrary code.

Currently, this only affects the latest Firefox release, version 3.6. This release came out just a couple of months ago in January.

Although developers have already fixed the issue, they are currently undergoing quality assurance testing before releasing the patch. The patch is scheduled to come out with Firefox version 3.6.2 on March 30. In the meantime, Mozilla suggests download the beta build which already contains the fix.

Panda Security Helps FBI Take Down Global Hackers

Lansia — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 23:51:38 +0000

Cyber criminals related to the Mariposa botnet were finally arrested last month. The Mariposa botnet, a network of 12 zombie computers assembled together to steal personal information, is believed to have infected approximately 13 million computers in more than 190 countries. The botnet spread over P2P networks, infected USB drives and through web links. After a user was infected, malware would begin to install and allow the hackers to access sensitive information.

The Register reports that “half the roster of Fortune 1000 companies harboured machines infected by Mariposa at one time or another.” In fact, Christopher Davis, chief exec at Defence Intelligence in Canada, says, “It would be easier for me to provide a list of the Fortune 1000 companies that weren’t compromised, rather than the long list of those who were.”

After Davis first discovered Mariposa in May 2009, he teamed up with Georgia Tech Information Security Center, PandaLabs and law enforcement personnel to form the Mariposa Working Group. After months of collaboration, Panda Security, other security experts and law enforcement were able to shut down Mariposa on December 23, 2009.

In a panic to gain back control of Mariposa, botmaster Netkairo (aka “hamlet1917″), made a connection to the network using his home computer. Past connections had almost always been through a VPN (virtual private network) to mask IP addresses from the authorities. Netkairo’s mistake left a digital trail for investigators to follow, which then led to a string of arrests two months later.

In a press release today, Panda Security senior research advisor Pedro Bustamante tells us, “Our preliminary analysis indicates that the botmasters did not have advanced hacking skills.” It just goes to show “how sophisticated and effective malware distribution software has become, empowering relatively unskilled cyber criminals to inflict major damage and financial loss.”

Defence Intelligence and Panda Security are making their way through a list of affected organizations to contact. If you would like to find out whether your organization has been compromised, email compromise@defintel.com or info@pandasecurity.com.

Internet Explorer Flaw Causes Malware Vulnerability

Lansia — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 00:12:38 +0000

Are you using Internet Explorer 7 or 8? Beware, it’s possible that you are at risk for a recently discovered vulnerability revealed by iSEC Security Research.

“Microsoft is investigating new public claims of a vulnerability involving the use of VBScript and Windows Help files within Internet Explorer,” says Jerry Bryant, senior manager with the Microsoft Security Response Center. So far, “the current state of our investigations shows that Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows Server 2008, and Windows Server 2008 R2, are not affected.” In addition, Bryan also notes Microsoft hasn’t seen any attacks yet stemming from this vulnerability.

The Microsoft Security Response Center blog reminds us that “only Windows 2000 and Windows XP are impacted” and “Windows 2003 Server is also impacted, but the issue is mitigated in the default configuration due to the presence of the Internet Explorer Enhanced Security Configuration.”

A security advisory issued by Microsoft earlier today tells us, “the main impact of the vulnerability is remote code execution.” Basically, the F1 key (which activates Windows Help) could be used to execute malicious code that may pass along sensitive information of the user. Microsoft is currently working on a security patch to fix this flaw, so in the meantime, don’t hit that F1 key! You could also protect yourself by locking down the Windows Help system. Further instructions can be found on the MSRC blog post.

If you’re ready to drop IE, like Google did yesterday, you could always entertain the idea of switching to FireFox or Chrome…

Cyber-Attack Will Test Government Security Next Tuesday

Lansia — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 23:07:41 +0000

The Bipartisan Policy Center, a nonprofit organization focused on various issues including national and homeland security, will be unleashing Cyber ShockWave on Tuesday, February 16th. Cyber ShockWave, a cyber-attack simulation, will allow the government to assess response times and improvement areas shall they ever encounter the real deal.

A group of high-ranking former White House, Cabinet and national security officials will band together to fend off this simulated cyber-attack. As the event unfolds, the participants will be advising the President and planning a strategical response. None of the participants have any advanced information regarding the simulated attacks. The event even goes as far as hiring professional scriptwriters to coach the security experts and a production company to recreate the White House situation room in the Mandarin hotel.

There is no doubt that Google’s (and other tech companies’) struggle with recent (most-likely) Chinese attacks have caused greater concern regarding our nation’s cyber-security. How do you think our nation will fair in this exercise?

Read the ComputerWorld article or the Bipartisan press release for more information regarding this event.

Sex, Sex, Sex: Spammed, Dumped and Censored

Lansia — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 23:23:10 +0000

Spammed
Remember how the Australian Government green lighted an Internet filter not too long ago? In retaliation to the proposed filter, a group of hackers, who call themselves Anonymous, took down two government sites: the main website and the Parliament site. Ars Technica tells us “the plan was DDoS government servers first, and then followup with ‘a s***storm’ of porn-related emails, faxes, and prank cell phone calls to government officials.”

An email sent to the media before the attacks declared, “No government should have the right to refuse its citizens access to information solely because they perceive it to be ‘unwanted’.” The email also announced, “No one messes with our access to perfectly legal (or illegal) content for any reason.”

Publicized by flyers distributed to recruit participants as “Operation: Titstorm,” the attacks caused intermittent periods of downtime before lunch in addition to about an hour of inaccessibility in the morning. Communications Minister Stephen Conroy frowned upon the attacks, saying they were “totally irresponsible and potentially deny services to the Australian public.” The Sydney Morning Herald has more coverage on the events that occurred last night (well, Wednesday morning Australia time and Tuesday evening through the US).

Dumped
A man in Winnipeg is on a campaign for his innocence after being dumped by his girlfriend of 2.5 years. Apparently, his girlfriend found brow-raising text messages on his work phone — “Booty call” and “Be there soon” type texts. But Darren, the dumped, didn’t even know that he had text capabilities on his Samsung Virgin Mobile phone; they were preloaded messages! Mike Ford, a sales associate at Future Shop, a cell phone store, in Winnipeg tells the Huffington Post, “when we looked at a couple of the same phones he bought, and found they all had the same messages… We all felt horrible.” Well, Darren is on a quest, “I’d like to see the phones recalled and the messages taken off, so that others don’t have to go through the hell I’m going through.” Can he win his girl back?

Censored
YouTube now comes in “Safety Mode.” What is it you ask? Well, let’s go to the source. The YouTube Blog tells us, “Safety Mode is another step in our ongoing desire to give you greater control over the content you see on the site.” Maybe this video demo will help…

Since you must manually opt in to enable Safety Mode, it may not be the best way to keep tabs on your teenager. But it still creates a nice alternative to avoid unsightful, salacious or embarrassing content while browsing YouTube… at work, let’s say… or at home with the kids… Aside from creating a more family-friendly browsing experience, Safety Mode also hides comments and allows you to filter out curse words. YouTube tells us, “while no filter is 100% accurate, we use community flagging, hide objectionable comments and porn image detection to identify and hide inappropriate content.”